Sad news out of Jamaica this week, as funding member / bassist for The Skatalites, Lloyd Breven, has died at 80. Breven had a pretty miserable last few months, suffering a stroke and seizures and then having the horror of his son being killed while picking up an award on behalf of for his ailing father, all while engaged in some sort of dispute that was apparently preventing him from receiving Skatalites royalties.
Without question, The Skatalites were a primary force in the creation of reggae and rock steady, and in its early days played with every musician of note in Jamaica, including Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff amongst others. Rock steady, Lloyd, wherever you are…rock steady.
